Desert Christians
The Desert Christians are a branch of Riminian Christianity that is most widespread in Egypt (around 3 % of the population), and in Sudan (around 1.2 % of the population). They are focused on fasting, hermitage and extreme self sacrifice, much more severe then permited to regular Riminian Christians. They act more or less without regard for the authority of The Church of North Africa, which formally oversees them in the name of the Pope. Riminian Christians first came to Egypt around 246 AD, when they were formally recognised and protected by Pharahoh Sewadjenre Pepi II., as a means to counter the traditional Egyptian faith. However by 459 the Church in Egypt was very powerfull, and so Pharaoh Djeserkare Libum V. launched an offensive against it. Half of the clergy flead into the desert, while half surrendered, swore aliegance to the throne and were integrated within Egypt under certain changes. Those that flead remained in the desert, convinced that their fall was punishment for their previous greed for money and influence, and so devoted themselves to atoning for their sins by extreme penance. The leader of this community and the founder of the movement was Saint Anen, who founded the Anen Monastery, the first of the Five Desert Monasteries in 460. The second monastery, Masaherta Monastery, was founded by Saint Masaherta, after he left the Anen Monastery in dispute with the elders, in 512. However one of his first disciples, Saint Iuwelot, got into an even deeper dispute with him and founded the Iuwelot Monastery in 519. Similarily, in 638, Saint Buneb disagreed with the elders at Masaherta and founded the Buneb Monastery, which was however destroyed in 642. It was rebuilt shortly after Buneb's death from fasting in 644. Finaly in 720 Saint Kagemni broke away from the regular Riminian Church and founded his own, Fifth, Kagemni Monastery, reffered to as the False Monastery by the other desert christians. In adition, a sixth Monastery was founded by Saint Khaba in 788, in the same manner as the Kagemni Monastery. However it was destroyed and uprooted by the Buneb Monastery due to being "unpure" in 795. However Khaba was still proclaimed a saint by the Desert christians due to his death as a martyr. The Buneb Monastery refused to recognise his sainthood until 1795. There were also other, lesser monasteries never recognised by the majority of the Monasteries, but which claimed alliegance to them and their ideas. Chronologicaly, these were * 606 Akunosh Monastery. Uprooted by Egypt in 639 * 677 Harwa Monastery. Destroyed by Berbers around 700. * 839 Tao Monastery. Abandoned by 1003. * 996 Rudamon Monastery. Abandoned in 1014. Hierarchy There is a vague order of precedence between the Five Monasteries, based on seniority, however all monasteries frequently compete with each other and quarell on a nearly regular basis. The Heads of the Five Monasteries are as follows * Hegumen of Aneb Monastery, Father Pishoy * Hegumen of Masaherta Monastery, Father Faisal * Hegumen of Iuwelot Monastery, Father Mohieddin * Hegumen of Buneb Monastery, Father Pedonus * Hegumen of Kagemni Monastery, Father Waznar Outside of the Five Great Monasteries, there are two female monasteries not formally recognised by either of the fathers as equal. These are Ebe Monastery, headed by Hegumenia Hebony, and Moswen Monastery headed by Hegumenia Nubit. The Protohegumen, the head and overseer, of all these 7 monasteries is Nyssa.